Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : The urban novels that developed during the second half of the 19th century aimed to present the structure and social composition of the city. Such novels have been analysed mainly through thematic analysis, but also with the Bakhtinian chronotope. Nevertheless, Franco Moretti's (2000) now classic study initiated a 'geographical turn' that calls for a more systematic analysis of what it contributes to the chronotopic approach. Firstly, beyond the overall description of the novel, it is interesting to focus on the dynamics of specific stories described within the novel (the story's pace, the routes and encounters of the various characters). Secondly, we will also examine cartography's contribution to the careful reading of a novel. How do mapping and visualisation through maps allow for a new knowledge, which was inconceivable and inconceived using chronotope analysis? This contribution considers both these dimensions in Les Mystères de Bruxelles (1845-1846) by Suau de Varennes, an urban novel rediscovered recently that is a variation of the well-known Mystères de Paris. Cartography allows a reassessment of an unknown literary work. It also opens up fertile prospects for collaborative research between social history, literature and urban geography.

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